valentine's
by not a straight trumpet
Summary: A heart-shaped box of chocolates, a surprise visit from a certain "Cupid," and store-bought cards all find their way into Kumiko's daily life.


**a/n:** well of course i was going to write a kumirei valentine's day fic, written to the tune of _valentine_ by kina grannis

i'd forgotten how fun asuka was to write

* * *

Kumiko clung to the heart-shaped box like it was a lifeboat and she was the last passenger on a sinking ship among rocky waves.

 _Quit thinking like that,_ she chastised herself. _I'm just giving Reina a gift. Nothing else. She's giving me something, too, and so are Hazuki and Midori. It's nothing big. It's no problem, it's just-_

" _Oh,_ is our little lost lamb in love?"

 _Great._ "Asuka-senpai?"

"Why, who else would it be?" Asuka held a hand to her cheek as if she were an old-fashioned queen, hooting at something she found funny.

"You, uh, retired, along with the other third-years, so I h-haven't seen you in a while." Asuka blinked.

"You know that we _do_ still go to the same school, right? It's not like I moved away, you can see me anytime you want."

"I'll keep that in mind when you graduate in a week," Kumiko deadpanned.

"Now, now, there's no need to be so hostile!" Asuka clapped Kumiko on the shoulder, smiling widely. Kumiko winced. "Today is a day for lovers!"

"I thought you hated Valentine's Day."

"Oh, I do. It's boring and stupid, in my opinion, and I plan to spend it with a bowl of ice cream and _several_ terrible chick flicks and musicals Natsuki lent me, but that doesn't change how it's magical for _other_ people, such as you, dearest Oumae!" Asuka paused for a moment. "Speaking of which, have you and Kousaka made it . . . you know . . . _official,_ yet?" Asuka grinned like a cartoon villain as she waited for a response.

"No." Kumiko was a bit too tired to put up her usual resistance, and she trusted Asuka enough to leave the issue alone.

She did not.

"Ah, that's a shame. You two always seemed like such soulmates, always doing everything together, always in time with each other. It was . . . cute, I suppose. A case of puppy love."

"Please stop talking about my love life," Kumiko muttered, feeling her face turn red. Asuka gave her a thumbs-up.

"Not a chance!"

"Besides, we've hardly talked for the past few months." Asuka adjusted her glasses, blinking like an owl.

"Why not?"

"We've b-both been busy with everything- Nationals, figuring out life stuff, _you."_ Kumiko hugged the heart-shaped box close to her chest. "I mean, I haven't had a lot of time to myself lately. Stuff's happened."

"And you haven't found time for talking to your girlfriend," Asuka finished.

"Well . . . yeah." Kumiko shrugged. She didn't object to the label of _girlfriend._ "That's why this has to go well."

"What, the chocolates? That's a bit . . . cliche, isn't it?"

"E-exactly!" Kumiko sputtered. "Reina loves this sort of cheesy thing, she took me up a _mountain_ on a festival night, why wouldn't she like these?" Asuka chuckled.

"You're adorable," she sighed. Kumiko bristled. "Well, anyway, good luck. If Kousaka doesn't like them, I'd suggest dumping her. If she does, she's a keeper."

"We're not-"

"Believe what you want, little euph!" Asuka called over her shoulder, already sauntering down the hallway. Kumiko could only watch her leave.

* * *

"'You're a true friend,'" Kumiko read, peering at the stiff paper square that Hazuki had proudly given to her upon making her way into the band room. "Thanks, Hazuki."

"I bought it at the supermarket, they were half-off! I got one for you, too, Midori!"

"I got you all charms!" Midori squeaked. She had already started digging through her bag when Yuuko stormed in, Natsuki hot on her heels.

"I _told_ you, Nakagawa, I didn't buy that big stuffed bear for you! It just ended up in your locker, somehow!"

"Yeah, my locker on the other end of the school." Natsuki tugged at Yuuko's (appropriately pink) ribbon with a smirk. "Besides, it's not like you're believing me about what I said, either."

"What, about how my bag just _happened_ to suddenly get filled with violets _right after_ I left it alone with you for five minutes?! Ha!" Yuuko wheezed out a laugh that sounded more like a cat slowly suffocating itself. "Who else would do something so _stupid_ and _thoughtful_ and _ridiculous?_ "

"I named the bear Heck."

"Stop talking about the bear!"

"They're as weird as always," Hazuki whispered. Midori shoved the plastic capsules, wrapped in heart-patterned paper, in front of Kumiko and Hazuki expectantly.

"Open them!" she insisted. "Back at Seijo, we never had Valentine's Day exchanges, so this is a really new thing for me!"

"Aww, Midori, that's-"

 _"Cupid has arrived!"_ Asuka shoved open the door and flung heart-shaped confetti across the room. One of the flutes looked like she'd swallowed a piece.

"Asuka-senpai!" the band blurted out, in unison. Kumiko could see a pair of faux-feather wings hinged on Asuka's back, and she pranced around the room like she was having the time of her life.

"I know I've retired, but it's such a grand day that I simply _had_ to grace you all with my presence. Now, I'm sure that there's one certain euphonium with something to say, 'hmm?'" Natsuki slowly inched out of Asuka's line of sight. Kumiko caught a glimpse of Reina out of the corner of her eye, and she quickly turned away. "Kumiko Oumae. Get up here, you're part of my bit!"

"What bit?" Kumiko looked around in confusion as Hazuki and Midori pushed her to the center of the room. "What's going on?"

"That's meant to be _for_ someone, isn't it?" Asuka pointed a slender, calloused finger at the heart-shaped box that Kumiko was still carrying in her arms.

"W-well, uh . . . yeah, it's for a friend." She nearly choked on the word _friend._ "I'm going to give it to her later, though."

 _"Her?"_ Shuichi yelped. Kumiko shot him a glare.

"Aw, why not now?" Asuka whined. "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"

"Of course I'm not! I just don't want to give Rei- to give _my friend_ her gift in front of everyone."

"Ah, so your sweetheart's the shy type, then?" Asuka purred, playing dumb, acting like she didn't know exactly who Kumiko planned to give the box too.

"Sure." Kumiko was growing less amused with this act by the minute. Asuka looked down at her curiously.

"Well, erm, it seems like this was a bit of a bust." Asuka started to back out of the room, feathers dropping from her fake wings. "I'll be taking my leave now. There's a bootleg of _Heathers_ at home with my name on it. Farewell, all!" She dramatically bowed before running from the room.

"What was that about?" Midori wondered. Kumiko saw Reina start to leave, and she stood up.

"I have to do something," she said. "Tell Taki-sensei that I went to the bathroom if he asks." With that, she ran after Reina, shoes thudding on the smooth floor, until Reina turned around.

"What?" Kumiko weakly held out the box, now somewhat crinkled. Reina took it cautiously. "Oh. I didn't get you anything. I'd admittedly forgotten that it was Valentine's Day at all, if we're being honest."

"Don't worry about it." Kumiko flipped her hand in dismissal, the universal gesture of _it's all fine._ "They're, uh, just store-brand chocolates."

"Thank you." Reina had been distant ever since the Nationals, cold and more and more like she had been before that night on the mountain, and Kumiko had been trying her best not to let it cloud her judgement much. "Happy Valentine's Day, Kumiko." She smiled for a moment, warm and powerful as the sun, before she seemed to remember who she was and frowned again. Kumiko watched as she turned around, clutching the box, and walked away like an enchantress who'd just delivered a spell of the most binding sort.

"You too, Reina."

* * *

 **a/n:** consider this fic a preemptive apology for how much suffering these kids are going to go through in the next few chapters of year two


End file.
